Half to eobeet keee



- (No Model.) r

H. I. WINTERPIELD.

HAT RACK FOR HAT MANUFACTURERS. No. 376,938. Patented Jan. 24, 1888.

make and, use the same.

STATES- HENRY I. WINTERFIELD, .OF'DANBURY,

. HALF ro ROBERT KERR, OF SAME PLACE.

H T RAC FO R HAT-FMAKVIU FA'CTU RER'S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,933, dated January 24-, 1 888.

A plication filed May 16', rear. Serial No. 138,431. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: g

Be it known that I, HENRY I. WINTERF ELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury,'in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Racks for Hat- Manufacturers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable oth-v ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to My invention has for its object to provide a device for holding hatswhich shall be adapted for use under all circumstances, in which a number of hatsfor example, a.dozenare to be exhibited or to be moved about from one place to another, and which shall be especially adapted for use in hat-factories, it being necessary to provide racks or frames that will hold a number of hats, in which they may be transported from one. portion of the factory to another while undergoing the different steps in the operations of finishing and preparing for the market.

With these ends in view I have devised (the simple and novel constructiom'of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

numbers being used to indicate the several partsr H Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved hat-rack complete; Fig. 2, a section of a portion thereof, showingahat in position but not clamped; and Fig. 3isa similar view showing a hat clamped in position.

1 denotes the frame-work of the rack, which may be of any suitable or preferred construction; 2, supporting-bars upon one side of the rack, which are fixed in the framework; and 3, supporting-bars on the opposite side of the rack, which are adapted to turn freely in the frame-work. The turning-bars are provided with loops or pins 4 of any suitable shape, and are connectedbya suitable strip, 5, which is loosely secured to each rod in substantially the same manner that the connecting-rod is secured to blind-slats. Oneend of one of the turningq'ods passes through the frame-work,

and is provided with a crank or handle, 6.

7 denotes longitudinal strips in thatside of the frame-work in which the turning-bars are CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB oEoNE- journaled, one of thesestrips being placed a without thenecessity for any adjustment whatever, and may be made of any required size that is, to carry any'desired number of hats.

The rack illustrated inthe drawings is de signed. to carry a dozen hats that is fourQ rows of three hats each-the 'loops'being shown as placed far enough apart to. accommodate any possible width of brim without I the hats coming in contact. 3

Theoperation is as follows: The hatsare held by cross-bars 2 and 3, resting on both, I. and when the rack is filled, or the desired number has been placed in position, the crank or handle is given a quarter-turn, which turns one of the loopslor pins .4 up into -eachhat and binds it against one of theaside strips-1' 7. In Figs. 1 and 3 the partsare shown in the clamped position. 7 position to the position shown in Fig. 2, it'is simply necessary to give crankor handle 6 a To throw th'emfrom this quarter-turn inward; As soonas the desired number of hats are placed in position aquaiw,

ter-turn of the handle back to the position shown in Fig. lclamps the hats in'position, as

. clearly shown in Fig.3.. The turning-bars being connected by strip 5, it is made certain that every hat shall be clamped in position, whether the rack is filled or not.

It willof course be understood that'the details of construction may be varied. to-an almost unlimited extent without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Iclaim 1. A hat-rack consisting of frame-work, sup; porting bars in one side thereof and turning bars in the other side, which are provided I with loops or pins adapted to engage the intev rior of the hats;

2. A hat-rack consisting offrame-work, side bars 2,'turning-bars 3, having loops or pins4,

and a strip connecting said turning-bars, wherebya others with it. x y p 3. Ahat-rack consisting of frame-work, side *bars 2, turning-bars 3, havingloopsi s'trip 5, connecting the turning-bars, and side bars 7 I movement of either bar carriesthe.

in the frame-Work j ust above the turning-bars, 5. In a hat-rack, the combination, with bars against which the hats are clamped by the 2 and side strips 7, of turning-bars 3, having pins when in use. loops 4, whereby the hats are clamped against 4. In a hat-rack, bars 2 and turning-bars 3, the side strips. 5 having loops or pins 4, in combination with In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 15 a. strip, 5, connecting the turning-bars, side presence of two witnesses.

strips 7, against which the hats are clamped HENRY I. WINTERFIELD. by the loops or pins, and a crank or handle \Vitnesses: adapted to engage one of the turning-bars, THOMAS A. LOUNSBURY,

[0 whereby all the hats are clampecl at once. GRACE L. HUBBELL. 

